“This material is called xiangyunsha,” said Song Fei, while she introduced a traditional cheongsam (旗袍) to customers in a flagship shop. “Dyed with pure plant extracts and unpolluted river mud, the time-honored silk cloth is named ‘soft gold’ in the textile (纺织的) industry.”
To everyone’s surprise, the knowledgeable Song, who has unbelievable insights into cheongsam, a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women, has practiced law for 10 years in Chengdu City. In 2017, she traveled to Suzhou to learn design and handicraft skills of cheongsam and traditional costumes, becoming a cheongsam designer.
At first, Song’s family and friends were not optimistic about her choice to switch from a distinguished career to an artistic field. Knowing little about clothing, Song met with a huge challenge. “The pain was unthinkable, but since I had chosen that profession, I had to stick to it. I want a career that I truly enjoy,” said Song.
Song returned to Chengdu with new skills and creative passion in 2019 and founded her design brand. “To be honest, compared with my previous job, this one is harder and leaves me with much greater financial pressure. But my sense of satisfaction is beyond comparison when my works are recognized and appreciated,” said Song.
“Traditional cheongsams are one-piece tailored dresses of Chinese origin that require making with natural materials by hand. However, modern cheongsams are often made with artificial materials and produced by machine,” Song said. “In the face of rapid social and economic changes, traditional cheongsams are receiving less attention due to the popularity of mass-produced cheongsams.”
To save the beauty of traditional culture, Song wants to blend people’s daily lives with time-honored handicrafts, believing that traditional culture should not be the zone of museums. She aims to pass on traditional Chinese culture, which is a meaningful type of work with social responsibilities.
8. Where did Song probably work in the past?
A.In a design room for costumes. | B.In a museum of traditional culture. |
C.At an office of legal affairs. | D.At a flagship shop of cheongsams. |
9. What made Song change her job?
A.Love for traditional costumes. | B.Persuasion from family and friends. |
C.Unthinkable pain from the former job. | D.Great financial pressure. |
10. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?
A.The future development of cheongsams. |
B.The main producing process of cheongsams. |
C.The original materials of traditional and modern cheongsams. |
D.The difference between traditional and modern cheongsams. |
11. Which of the following can best replace the word “blend” in paragraph 6?
A.Rid. | B.Combine. | C.Compare. | D.Exchange. |